


Lifeline

by nekojita



Series: Dragon!Andrew [7]
Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Canon-Typical Violence, M/M, Mention of Past Abuse, Oblivious Neil, Riko is still an asshole, andrew is a dragon, bad Wesninski parenting, except when he isn't, mention of dark magic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2017-02-14
Packaged: 2018-09-24 11:55:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9724613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nekojita/pseuds/nekojita
Summary: Neil and Andrew are settling in at the Foxhole Court, trying to find their places there and a new home, but the past is never far away - both good and bad.Another part in the Dragon!Andrew series.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so it's Valentine's Day here in the U.S. so consider this a gift? It's not the strongest fic in the way of plot, though it does give a bit of background info on some things and insight into the world and might make a few people happy with some characters. All in all, I hope you enjoy!  
> *******

*******

Neil woke up in a rush when he realized that he was asleep in a real bed, at the feel of magical wards around him that weren’t just his own and- and then the memories began to return, along with the realization that the bed was large and soft and he could smell the scent of Andrew on the pillow next to him, that lingering hint of smoke that followed his lover.

He wasn’t in the Raven’s Nest, wasn’t Riko’s prisoner. He wasn’t in his father’s castle, either, wasn’t- he was in the Foxhole Court, and his tyrant lover had gone off without him for some breakfast pastries or something, now that he was in human form. Sure, steal almost all of Neil’s magic and leave him alone in bed.

Neil wallowed in… it wasn’t quite anger, more like disgruntlement for a few minutes before he forced himself to get out of the bed. There had been so many changes in the last few days, ever since they’d arrived at the Foxhole Court. Andrew being able to shift back and forth between his human form and the dragon was of course the biggest one, and it was good that he wasn’t draining Neil’s magic as much anymore. He still needed a little of Neil’s magic to maintain whatever Neil’s bastard father had done to alter the curse, but things were better now – _Neil_ was better now. But he was still regaining his strength from being drained so dry, and now _he_ was the one taking naps and sleeping in.

There was also the fact that, for the time being at least, it seemed that they were acting knights of the Foxhole Court. Until they were certain that there weren’t any side effects of what Nathan Wesninski had done to Andrew, they didn’t want to be too far from powerful and knowledgeable mages who could counteract the curse’s spell. It was also safest for them at a court with allies. Nicky and Aaron – along with Renee and Dan - had returned to their home to gather their possessions and any loved ones willing to relocate before Nathan Wesninski or the Moriyamas tracked them down for some retribution in keeping Neil from being dragged back to Evermore.

Nicky wasn’t that upset about things, since it appeared that he had grown to enjoy traveling the kingdoms in the last few years and learning magic, he just hadn’t been happy about leaving Erik at home. Now that he had a chance to be a knight and for Erik to have a good job at a court? It seemed like the best of both worlds to him, and he was certain that his lover would agree. Aaron wasn’t as pleased with the outcome since he was less adventurous, but becoming a knight was a step up for him and he could learn healing magic from Abby Winfield, two things which would aid him in his quest for status and knowledge. They should be returning soon, and Neil would be grateful to see familiar faces around him.

He was having trouble adjusting to being back at a court, even if he’d been born in one, had been raised (sort of) to be the husband of a prince (something he hadn’t found out until a couple of years ago). His father’s court hadn’t been a happy place, had been a stone fortress of nightmares and agony which he’d gladly left behind for years spent on the run with his mother. The Raven’s Nest hadn’t been much better even if it had been a grand palace, even if he’d been given a room with a bed and a nice view. He’d still been a prisoner and there’d still been so much pain, until he’d managed to escape.

The only place that had felt like home had been the old fort up in the mountains, had been where he’d lived with Andrew. He’d rather have the drafty old place with featherbeds on the floor and little furniture and his own wards, with almost no one around but Andrew than the nice court here, but at least he had Andrew back in human form during the day. At least he had _Andrew_. He just had to get used to sharing his lover with so many other people, to seeing all these strangers about when he left his room.

Dressed in a new pair of light grey leggings and a blue tunic that Abby had given him, he headed toward one of the smaller dining halls so he could have some tea and maybe some fruit to eat for breakfast before tracking down Andrew. Usually his lover favored the hall for his own breakfasts and if he wasn’t there, then he was probably already with Betsy Dobson working on some spells.

Neil didn’t find him there, so he focused on getting something to eat, on placating the mild hunger he felt and building up his strength for the day. He’d just finished some bread and an apple and was enjoying his second cup of tea (it was rather nice not to have to worry about cooking for once) when some stranger sat down at the table across from him.

“You’re one of the newer faces around here.” The man smiled at Neil; he was dressed in a cream colored tunic that bore the Foxhole Court crest over brown wool pants, but Neil doubted he was a knight; he noticed the way that the man’s light brown eyes glanced at the raven mark on Neil’s left check and was willing to bet that the man knew who he was. “I’m Robert.”

“Ah, Neil.” He gave a polite nod then made a point sipping his tea in hopes of being left alone.

“So Neil, has anyone told you about the moon festival this week? It’s really popular, they have a lot of booths set up in the village nearby.” Robert leaned a little over the table while he smiled. “I can show you around.”

What was it with people trying to drag Neil out to things? The guy from the stables had told Neil about the horse market and one of the maids had gone on and on about a local garden. Neil knew that he was a bit pale because of the whole drained magic thing, but he was getting better.

"That won't be necessary," he told Robert. "I think I'm going to be too busy to go to anything like that." Festivals weren't really his thing, not with all the priests and priestesses about, not when he remembered how the few he'd attended over the years had just been opportunities for him and his mother to pick pockets and steal food before leaving town in a hurry. Besides, Andrew probably wouldn't like the crowds and the fuss.

"But it would be a great way for you to get to know the area," Robert insisted, the too-wide smile still on his face. "And to get out a little." He gazed at Neil and inched his hand across the table, toward Neil. "It'll be fun, you should really come with me."

Why was the man being so persistent about this? Neil frowned as he dropped the apple core into his now empty mug of tea and prepared to stand up while he shook his head, only to feel strong, warm hands settle on his shoulders, to feel a familiar magic wrap around him - it was Andrew pressing against his back, which explained how someone had snuck up on him. "I believe Neil was saying 'no'," Andrew told Robert, who for some reason didn't look too happy just then. "Now then, I'm going to take my _husband_ away for a... private discussion." A small flame appeared on the table near Robert's hand, which was still outstretched as if to touch Neil.

While the man yelped in surprise and pain, Neil found himself hauled off of the bench and out of the small dining hall - Andrew might not have his tail anymore while in human form, but he was still very strong and extremely determined, so Neil knew better than to even trying to resist. "Okay, so what's bothering you this morning?" he asked as it appeared that he was being dragged back to their room.

"Don't wander around by yourself," Andrew said, which wasn't any real answer.

Neil let out a slow breath and forced himself to count to ten in a couple of different languages. "What am I supposed to do when you go off without me?"

"Wait for me to return," Andrew responded without any hesitation, which left Neil tempted to blast him with some aether magic except for two things - Andrew's human form wasn't as resistant to it as the dragon and Neil wasn't about to waste his magic when he'd just gained back an adequate reserve.

Andrew might be in human form once more, at least for most of the day, but the dragon was still inside of him. In other words, he was still 'protective' of what was 'his', which was Neil and his family; there was a reason that the curse had been so effective, why it had chosen a dragon as his alternate form. In a way, Neil supposed that they should all be grateful that the dragon and Andrew had so much in common since they had managed some sort of 'middle ground', that they had come to a truce after Nathan Wesninski had altered the curse... except that _he_ was part of that 'middle ground'.

"You're the one who goes off without me," he grumbled once they reached their room, deciding that if Andrew was going to be so unreasonable, than so would he. "Don't see why I should stick around here doing nothing while you... what _were_ you doing?"

"Working with Bee on a couple of spells." Andrew pushed him toward the large bed that took up most of the space in the room they'd been given; it wasn't as richly decorated as the one Neil had back at the Raven's Nest, but it was still nice with the shuttered windows which let in plenty of light once opened, the large fireplace and polished oak furniture. "What were you doing, talking to that guy?"

"He was talking to _me_ for some reason, I was just trying to eat breakfast," Neil answered as he sat on the bed. At the sour look his lover gave him, he sighed. "What?"

"The fact that you've no clue is why you don't go off by yourself," Andrew insisted. "Stick around here until Nicky and Aaron return. Things aren't like how they were up in the mountain."

"I know that," Neil argued. "I lived on my own before I met you, remember? I can take care of myself."

"Yet you've no clue what was going on back there," Andrew said in a mocking tone of voice as he straddled Neil's lap. "Now, it's not talking I want from you right now, understand?" He tilted up Neil's chin, the question evident in his demeanor, his expression.

Oh. _Oh_. It still took Neil surprise, Andrew being human during the day, that they could- _Oh_. He felt his face heat up as he nodded and stuttered out a 'yes'. As soon as the word had left his lips, Andrew kissed him with a thoroughness that left him breathless.

Soon enough his clothes were gone and he was stretched out on the bed, more than a little dazed at Andrew’s ‘assault’ on his body, on what his lover’s mouth and fingers were doing to him, the spikes of pleasure coursing through him as those fingers curled just _so_ inside of him, as teeth grazed along his left hipbone. “Ah! Ahn… Drew, dammit,” he cursed as he arched his back. “No… no teasing.”

“Hmm?” There was another scrape to his hip followed by Andrew’s hot breath along his skin that had Neil squirming even more, had him gasping _before_ the swipe of tongue along his hard cock. By that point he was writhing, his eyes closed and magic sizzling beneath his skin, magic and ecstasy, and fought to control himself before he blew up the damn bed.

At first he didn’t realize that the world really was spinning around him, until he felt the soft sheets against his cheek and Andrew’s presence near his back. “Yes?”

“Yes, yes, _yes_ ,” Neil chanted, then drew in a sharp breath as Andrew slid an arm beneath his chest while he slowly pushed inside; it was so much pleasure and warmth, was Neil feeling overwhelmed by those things, by _Andrew_. By Andrew’s weight and the sense of magic and each deep thrust, each hot kiss and gentle bite along his shoulders and neck, each stroke to his cock. He felt as if his lover had taken away everything but the two of them and their magic and the intense pleasure building up inside of him, the pleasure that was insidiously eating away at their little world.

Neil shuddered as Andrew’s arm tightened around him, as Andrew’s mouth pressed against on the side of his neck and hips rocked hard into him and then let it all consume him, the ecstasy and the weight of magic. He struggled to breathe through it all, to pull air into lungs that felt as if they were burning, while Andrew held on to him even tighter and shivered against him.

Moaning a little in a mix of pleasure and annoyance at having to move, Neil straightened out his legs and tucked his arms beneath him, which provoked a disgruntled rumble from his lover. It took a couple of tries before Andrew pulled away and then rolled onto his side, his handsome face flushed and pale blond hair disheveled; Neil stared at him, as always enraptured at seeing him in the sunlight, at the way his hair gleamed and the way his freckles stood out.

“Staring.”

“Hmm, of course.” Neil closed his eyes, but not in time to avoid a hand to his face before the tyrant groaned and got out of the bed.

He enjoyed lying on their now very messy bed, feeling languid and tired again yet for all the best reasons, when Andrew sat down next to him after having fetched something from his clothes. "Here." He reached for Neil's left arm and placed something in his hand. "Wear that."

"Hmm?" Neil rolled onto his side so he could look at what his lover had given him; it was a thick leather wrist band with what appeared to be golden scales embedded in it - scales from Andrew's dragon - and a dragon design burned into the front of it. The entire thing was strongly imbued with Andrew's magic, enough so that Neil hummed in pleasure from the feel of it and quickly buckled it around his left wrist. "When did you make it? How did you get the scales?"

"Bee helped me with them," Andrew said as he held on to Neil's arm for a moment longer and used his talent to melt the buckle so the band couldn't be removed; Neil blinked at that, but he enjoyed the feel of his lover's magic against his skin so he didn't mind, really.

"Uhm, what's it for?" It seemed to radiate Andrew's magic very strongly, enough so that Neil's whole arm tingled from it.

The question earned him an odd look as he was pulled from the bed so they could clean up. "To drive away unwanted pests."

"Okay." Was it a spell against vermin like lice and fleas? But Neil didn't need one because of his demon blood; he supposed it was the thought that counted, though, and just shrugged as they went to the small washroom attached to their room, then got dressed so they could go to Betsy's workshop.

Neil was a bit surprised at how well Andrew had taken to the water mage, considering that his lover didn't usually open up to people, but she was an unassuming yet friendly woman who contained a wealth of information when it came to magic. A wealth of information she was using to help Andrew and Neil (more Andrew at the moment), so Andrew was more inclined to be ‘nice’ to her than he would most people.

Considering that Neil didn’t know many spells, he didn’t tag along that much when the two did their research, but if his options were to stay in the room by himself or maybe learn a little magic, then he was going to learn a little magic. Not that he _could_ learn too many ‘helpful’ spells thanks to his demon blood, but he would never know until he tried.

They were close to the wing where Betsy worked when they came across Matt and Kevin – both knights appeared a bit upset at the moment, so Neil wondered if they had argued about something yet again. “Neil!” Matt smiled at him and waved. “Want to join us for some weapons practice- wow.” Matt blinked a couple of times and then leered a little. “Huh, still not past that honeymoon stage, are you?”

“What?” Neil frowned at the odd remark and noticed that Kevin’s face had become flushed and that Matt was pointedly staring at his neck, while Andrew seemed a bit too smug at the moment; the bastard didn’t show that much more emotion in his human form than when a dragon, but Neil could still tell. Oh yes, he could tell.

He raised a hand to his neck and winced as he came across a sore spot, then sighed when he remembered- “Uhm, we’re going to see Betsy!” he said in a rush as he felt his face heat up. “Maybe another time.”

Now Kevin was frowning at him. “You should come with us, you’re still rusty and-“ He took a hasty step back when sparks flashed in front of him.

“Oh so sorry, Neil has plans already,” Andrew told Kevin with a slight yet mocking smile.

His trick with his talent earned him Kevin’s ire, it seemed. “You could stand some weapons training as well, Minyard. You can’t rely on your flames and your shapeshifting to save you from everything.”

“Watch me,” Andrew told him as he gave Neil a gentle push forward. “Just try to come at me with that sword of yours and see how quickly I melt both it and you.”

Neil noticed the sympathetic look that Matt was sending his way and sighed; for the last few days he’d been stuck dealing with the two morons – with an oddly possessive Andrew and a Kevin who was harping on him to dust off unused skills that he ‘needed to be a proper knight’. He had the feeling that his old friend was grateful to have a familiar face at the Foxhole Court, too, but Neil wasn’t in the mood to spend all his waking time practicing with blades even if it was a bit of fun to spar with Kevin. It _had_ been such a long time since he’d fenced, putting to use the sword skills his mother had taught him, but at the moment they had to figure out the deal with Andrew’s curse.

‘Later’, he mouthed at Kevin as they continued on their way, then sighed again when his friend followed them instead of wisely going off in another direction, like Matt was doing. “You do know that if someone has altered the curse once, they can do it again,” Kevin argued.

“Which is why Bee and I believe we’ve stabilized it,” Andrew said, his tone much too cheerful for Neil’s liking just then – a ‘cheerful’ Andrew almost always meant trouble. “Some of us have been doing more than waving our phallic substitutes around.”

“Very funny.” Kevin gave Neil a sour look as if he was to blame for something. “I know Riko has his problems, but you really couldn’t find someone better than this?”

“Not going there,” Neil said as he got out of the line of fire, in more ways than one; he’d just taken a hasty step forward when Kevin managed a quick ward to protect himself from the blast of flame directed at him.

“You don’t _do_ that in the middle of a castle!” Kevin chided Andrew while Neil kept walking as fast as he could away from the two morons. “There’s exercise rooms and courtyards for practice!”

“I wasn’t practicing, I already know how to flambé assholes,” Andrew said as he managed to catch up with Neil despite having shorter legs. “Don’t you have something better to do, such as annoy Wymack?”

“No, the two of you really need to- dammit, stop that!” Kevin yelled when he got another face full of flames. Neil did his best to ignore the fighting while he once again wondered just what he’d done to deserve his fate – was it the demon blood? All the lying? He really hadn’t stolen _that_ much, honestly. If he’d known this was how his life would turn out, he’d have robbed some more rich people’s purses, dammit.

Hmm, maybe he should go to that festival after all….

“Ow!” He glared at his lover, who had just sent some sparks his way, for some unknown reason. “What?”

“You had that one look on your face which usually ends with me charring a knight or two, so stop it,” Andrew warned him. “Unless that knight happens to be Day.”

“Not even if you turn into the overgrown lizard again,” Kevin muttered, only to gulp when Andrew looked back at him, his eyes now glowing gold. “Uhm, I mean….”

Andrew scoffed at him, but by that point they had reached Betsy’s workshop so Neil sighed and tugged the tyrant inside; the water mage’s work area was a huge room with numerous bookshelves, several tables cluttered with odd items and a wide, open space. The woman in question was sitting at one of the tables, her brown hair shot with a couple of strands of grey cut at shoulder length and slightly curly, her brown eyes partially hidden behind wire-rimmed glasses and over-all appearance a little frumpy with the wrinkled yet clean light brown robe she was wearing… and for some reason she made Neil feel apprehensive. Perhaps it was the too-bright gleam in her eyes, the spark of focused intelligence that put him on edge since it looked as if she was studying him intently, that friendly smile directed his way which he could never take at face value. He wanted to step behind Andrew and Kevin, to hide himself away before she saw something in him he didn’t want revealed, before she pried too deep at the scars he’d hidden, at all the things he’d done that he didn’t want to remember. All the things _done_ to him that he didn’t want to remember.

“Bee! Look what followed me this time,” Andrew called out. “Can you use an earth elemental for a sacrifice?”

While Kevin gave Andrew an offended glare, Betsy merely smiled. “I’m afraid I don’t employ those types of spells,” she said as she picked up a scrap of paper and used it as a bookmark in whatever she’d been reading. “But I’m sure we could probably make use of his help all the same.”

“Damn, I was hoping to drain him dry and be done with him.” Andrew sighed as he stepped farther into the room, while Kevin gave Neil a worried look.

“He’s kidding, isn’t he?”

“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know any of those spells,” Neil assured his friend before he followed his lover.

Kevin let out a slow sigh of his own, and then took a quick step to catch up with Neil. “Wait, do _you_ know those spells?” He blanched when all Neil did was give him a humorless smile.

There were times when Neil really, _really_ hated his father. When he couldn’t say much about his mother, either – he knew she had done what she could to protect him, but… he wondered once again what it would have been like to have been a child at all. To do child-like things instead of learn of how many different ways to kill and curse and cast blood magic.

Then he was next to Andrew, and found an almost feverishly warm hand on the back of his neck and ‘idiot’ murmured against his cheek while the feel of Andrew’s magic soaked into him, and it was all right. Because his lover understood – Andrew might not have been raised to be a weapon, to be handed over as goods to a psychopath, but he’d been seen as little better than an object by his own mother, had been shunned by her and his uncle because of his immense magical talent and fostered out when barely more than a toddler to help ‘support’ his family. Had endured hardship and abuse in his own right, with only his power to protect him.

“So, we figured out a way to spell my clothes so they go through the change with me,” Andrew said once Neil settled, “now we just have to figure out what to do with my knives.” He motioned to the weapons strapped to his forearms; he hadn’t been trained to fight with a sword, but he was a nasty fighter with his fists and feet and he had some skill with knives, the little he’d bothered to practice with Neil.

Kevin perked up with that and stepped forward. “What spells are you using? There’s a stronger tie to earth with metal because of them being made of ore, so we should probably look at Wei’s theory of resonance along with whatever you used for the clothes.”

Neil sighed and let the three of them go at it while he found a bench to sit on; he could grasp what Kevin, Andrew and Betsy were talking about and even do some of the simpler spells, but his demon blood and aether magic limited him to a great degree. Create wards to protect things? There wasn’t much that could take his down, other than someone else with aether magic or a powerful, concentrated attack. Blow up stuff? He had that trick down, too. His illusions were slowly getting better, something that would probably improve with age and practice. Unfortunately, he couldn’t twist his magic into too many other things that didn’t require a lot of power or weren’t deadly.

Renee could… but the little he’d been able to talk to her before she’d left with Nicky and Aaron, a lot of it had to do with her being a paladin and having a lesser amount of demon blood. Somehow, Neil doubted that there were any gods out there who wanted to take him on, other than those of death and destruction, which wouldn’t solve his problem.

It was just ironic that most people saw fire as so destructive, when Andrew was able to use it to shield them, to keep them warm and help feed them, to sustain their home. To blend his magic with Betsy’s and Kevin’s to figure out a solution to a problem, to protect the people he cared about. Neil could do the latter… but not much more.

Yet Riko still wanted him for that magic. Riko still sent people out after him, had sent his _father_ after him, and driven them from their home.

It took what felt to be the rest of the morning and part of the early afternoon, but the three finally managed to figure out a spell that would allow Andrew to shift into the dragon and then back into his human form and not lose his knives; Neil would have been bored senseless by it all, except that each time Andrew shifted, he had to placate Andrew’s dragon form for a little while. His lover was still _there_ in the dragon, but it appeared that the dragon had a stronger influence over him at those moments, and most definitely wanted Neil close by to fuss over.

Really, what _had_ Neil done to deserve this?

“I suppose you have some use,” Andrew told Kevin while he flipped a knife in his right hand before he slipped it into the black leather arm guard. “I’ll flambé you another time.”

“Very funny,” Kevin grumbled. “Now can we get some weapon practice in? You could learn something from watching Neil.”

“ _No_ ,” Neil said while shaking his head, well aware that his lover was tired and impatient from the slight from on Andrew’s face just then. “I’m hungry, so let’s get something to eat.”

“Yes, it would be best to have something after casting all that magic,” Betsy agreed. “And Neil’s still recovering, so give him some more time to rest up,” she told Kevin with a disapproving look. “I’m sure Abby wouldn’t be happy to know you’re trying to drag him out onto the weapons’ field so much.”

Kevin appeared flustered just then, while Andrew was back to radiating smugness. “It’s just… he knows more fighting styles than the others.” Kevin rubbed at his left hand while he hung his head, much like a child called out on something he knew he’d done wrong. “It’s a better practice, with him.”

“Get your own idiot, this one is taken.” Andrew grabbed Neil by his left wrist – right above the new band – and pulled him along as they left Betsy’s workshop. Neil felt tempted to kick the bastard, but as long as he was being pulled toward a dining hall, he’d swallow his temper for the time being.

They’d just sat down and had started to eat when Wymack came over to them with Matt and Allison trailing behind him, his face set in a gruff expression while Matt appeared worried and Allison… actually, she seemed interested, which wasn’t a good sign. The little Neil had learned about the woman in the last few days was that if she took an interest in something, it was usually because she’d bet on it in some manner, since the knights at the Foxhole Court tended to wager on ridiculous things as a form of amusement.

Kevin paused in his attempt to work out a training schedule with Neil while Neil kept batting at Andrew’s hand to stop his lover from casting sparks at the knight, and all three of them stilled as Wymack stood at the end of the table. Neil no longer felt hungry, even though he’d only had a few bites of his chicken pasty, and set it down unfinished on the clay platter.

“Betsy told me I could find you here.” His expression softened as he looked at Kevin, seeming to veer toward pity, and then smoothed out a little when it settled on Neil and Andrew – _not_ a good sign. “We’ve a visitor who wants to talk to you. Well, more like insisting on talking to you.”

Andrew was quick to tug Neil a little closer, probably as the dragon’s possessive instincts kicked in. “Oh really? And just who is this esteemed guest?” he asked, once more sounding too cheerful to be trusted.

They might not have been at the Foxhole Court for very long, but Wymack was more than intelligent enough – that or good enough judge of character – to not take Andrew at face value. “Look, he’s a guest, so _behave_ , dammit,” he told Andrew. “He leaves here in one piece.” When Andrew’s full lips curved in a faint smile, Wymack glared. “He leaves in one piece, _alive_ and _unharmed_ , is that clear?”

“Someone is no fun.”

“Ah, better add ‘no curses’, too,” Matt said, then took a step back when Andrew gave him a flat look for his ‘help’.

“That too.” Wymack continued to glare a moment longer then sighed. “It’s Jean Moreau from Evermore.”

Neil stilled upon hearing that name while Kevin moaned, the sound faint; Jean Moreau was one of the highest ranked knights at the Raven’s Nest, reporting directly to Riko. To an outsider he may appear to hold a position of honor, of esteem, but all his skill and access to the royal family earned him was abuse; what people didn’t know was that he was another person ‘given’ to the Moriyamas much like Neil – like _Nathaniel_. Unlike Neil, he hadn’t managed to run away.

Unlike Neil, he wasn’t intended as Riko’s spouse but was just an object for Riko to use however he saw fit. Jean was a strong fire elemental, but he didn’t bring enough magic to Riko or the Moriyamas for them to treat him with anything but disdain. Neil had the feeling that if it hadn’t been for Kevin, Jean would have found some hopeless quest to throw himself at by now, but there had been at least one decent person at the Raven’s Nest to care if he lived or died, to distract Riko when the bastard had been at his worst. Then there had been Neil… well, Riko certainly had redirected his attention Neil’s way during his ‘stay’ at the Raven’s Nest, but Neil had still seen enough to make him feel sorry for the knight.

“And what does that particular birdy have to say, hmm?” Andrew asked as he slipped his hand around Neil’s neck; Neil thought he felt the band around his left wrist pulse for a moment, just as Andrew gave his nape a gentle squeeze.

“He won’t tell me, said he is to deliver the message in person to Nathaniel Wesninski and Kevin Day.”

Neil flinched upon hearing his old name. “Don’t call me that.”

“Look, kid, I’m just passing on the part of the message I got. Could you come to my office and get this over with? You and Kevin? He’s not going to leave until you do.”

“He’s right, let’s go see Birdy.” Andrew gave Neil’s neck another squeeze and waited for him to stand up, and Kevin scrambled to his feet a moment later, for once lacking his usual grace. Matt was quick to give Neil an encouraging smile, while Allison now appeared bored with everything.

“So, any impulse to go out eating the local sheep while in your more impressive form?” she asked Andrew as they followed Wymack to wherever his office was, the fingers of her right hand tapping on the hilt of her sword.

“Why, have a bet on it?” Andrew asked her, his tone a bit snide.

All she did was give him an innocent look by way of response, while Matt muttered something beneath his breath.

They found Jean Moreau in a rather cluttered room, the walls lined with shelves which appeared ready to collapse at any moment, they were so full of random objects, a desk overflowing with piles of paper, and a small round table where Abby was having tea with the Evermore knight. Jean set his cup aside as soon as they entered the office, standing out among the various items of white and orange with his tunic and light armor of black and red, his pale skin and black hair.

“Sir Day,” he said to Kevin with a slight nod, and only someone who knew him would catch that faint hitch to his words. “Prince Nathaniel.” His gaze lingered on Neil, especially the raven brand.

“It’s Neil now,” Neil snapped. “Neil Minyard.” It still surprised him at times, that new last name, and he swore just then that the leather wristband had pulsed in reaction to him saying it.

That earned him a stern frown as he rose to his feet. “You are Nathaniel Wesninski, the betrothed to Prince Riko Moriyama, and I’ve been tasked with returning you to your true home.”

Andrew made a tsk’ing sound and folded his arms over his chest. “Such annoying caws from this bird. How about I burn out its tongue?”

“Andrew, _no_ ,” Abby scolded as she stood up to go over to stand beside Wymack, while it looked as if Matt and Allison agreed with Neil’s lover. “He’s a guest, please show him proper respect.”

“I’ll burn it out _politely_ ,” Andrew amended.

“That such a cretin like you would dare to touch something of Prince Riko’s is reprehensible,” Jean said as he stared at Andrew with open loathing. “I should be burning _you_ , to ash at that.”

“That sadistic prick doesn’t own anything here,” Andrew said, all traces of amusement gone from his voice. “Now fly away before more than your feathers get singed.”

“I’m not leaving without Prince Riko’s fiancé,” Jean insisted. “Without Nathaniel and Kevin.” Kevin flinched at hearing that.

“Annoying as he is, Day’s staying,” Andrew declared. “And Riko doesn’t have a fiancé any longer.”

“Prince Riko’s had a fiancé for years, there is a binding contract that isn’t easily broken.” Jean sighed as if tired of arguing. “Nathaniel comes with me.”

“I am right _here_ ,” Neil snapped, tired of being argued over as if he was a damn _thing_ and not a person. “And I’m not going anywhere!”

“You come with me,” Jean told him; as he spoke, he threw a small, golden item that he’d been holding in his right hand at Neil, and like the idiot Andrew always called him, Neil caught it. He put it down to being too furious to think straight, that and Jean _was_ a guest – he couldn’t do too much to break the unspoken vows between a guest and a host.

Andrew cursed beneath his breath and snatched at Neil’s right hand, the one holding the item, while Neil blinked and opened his fingers to reveal a heavy gold ring with a flying raven etched onto it: it was the ring Riko had given to him as his ‘engagement’ present, the same night that he’d magically burned the brand onto Neil’s cheek. The ring that Neil had left behind at the Raven’s Nest when he’d run away, done with being beaten, with being Nathaniel, with _everything_. “Uhm, okay.” He allowed Andrew to snatch away the ring and looked over at Jean, who was staring at him in blatant surprise.

“But you….” No, he was staring at the raven brand on Neil’s cheek in surprise. “It was….”

“Let me guess, the ring and the brand were tied together, weren’t they?” Allison asked as she leaned against one of the shelves, uncaring about what she disturbed behind her. “Some sort of geas? I’m willing to bet an asshole who has to brand his property would do something like that.”

Jean flinched at the accusation while Andrew’s eyes flared a mix of red and gold, and Wymack made a rumbling sound deep in his chest. “Did you just attempt to lay a geas on one of my people while a guest in my court?” the man demanded to know, while Neil fought to not step back from the show of temper.

“I – it was just to prove that Nathaniel is still bound to Prince Riko,” Jean stammered as he did take a step back. “That he is still the prince’s betrothed.”

“But he isn’t.” Andrew raised the hand still holding the ring as his magic flared, and molten gold poured onto the wooden floor. “I told you, that sick fuck doesn’t have a fiancé anymore.”

“No, the gods accepted these two unromantic idiots being handfasted so it’s a blessed union,” Matt said, sounding annoyed for some reason. “So Riko’s going to have to find himself a new fiancé, if anyone’s stupid enough to accept him.”

“He can’t.” Jean motioned to Neil while something resembling horror twisted his features. “It _has_ to be Nathaniel.”

“You mean he wants my magic,” Neil said as he rubbed at the band on his left wrist, as he attempted to use the feel of Andrew’s magic to help calm himself before he did something regrettable like blow up Wymack’s office. “He wants to use me like a living battery to make himself more powerful, to carve me up some more like the sadistic bastard that he is, to have someone to treat like his own personal-“ He gasped as Andrew’s hand tightened on his neck once more and pulled him in closer, just then realizing that his hands had begun to glow silver.

“He’s never going to touch you again,” Andrew murmured against Neil’s cheek, against the hated brand since Neil had bowed his head while he struggled to control his magic. “If he ever stops throwing knights my way to charbroil, I’ll get the pleasure of burning him to ash after pulverizing him into a small ball.”

“Do it before he has guest rights,” Wymack muttered. “You’re not starting a war in my court.”

“And leave a little for us, don’t be so greedy,” Matt chided.

While Andrew scoffed at the admonishments, Neil felt more in control of himself and managed to rein in his magic, to lift his head and smile at his lover before looking over at a clearly distraught Jean and a quiet Kevin. “I’m not going back to the bastard,” Neil said, as if there was any doubt on the matter. “Neither is Kevin.”

Kevin stirred at that and flexed his left hand while shaking his head. “No, I’m staying here,” he told Jean. “There’s nothing for me in Evermore.”

“It’s your home,” Jean told him. “You don’t belong here, you know that.”

For a moment Kevin’s expression appeared doubtful, until Andrew made a loud tsk’ing sound. “He’s annoying, so he stays with the rest of the annoying morons here.” He gave Neil’s neck another squeeze before letting go and stepping closer to Jean. “If Riko has an issue with that, he can deal with me.”

Kevin now appeared stunned at Andrew stepping in like that, while Jean was back to his obvious displeasure. “You should not involve yourself in Prince Riko’s matters, Minyard.”

“I think it’s more the other way around,” Andrew told the knight with a chilling smile. “He’s the one who doesn’t seem to understand that there’s nothing here for him, so fly away and tell him that, Birdy.”

“But… I can’t,” Jean gasped, evidently distraught by the orders. “I can’t return to Evermore empty-handed.”

“He’s right,” Kevin agreed. “It won’t… he’s right,” he said, his expression one of pity as he regarded his old friend; Neil thought it was rather generous of him, that concern, considering that Jean would haul the both of them back to the Raven’s Nest if given the chance. Oh, Jean wasn’t necessarily evil, he just wasn’t going to risk Riko’s wrath over a little thing like their freedom.

Wymack considered the panicked fire elemental for a few seconds before sighing. “Put him in a spare room in the east wing,” he told Matt, before he turned to Jean. “You’re a guest for the time being, and will be treated accordingly. Try another trick like you did with the ring or abuse any privileges given to you, and you’ll regret it.”

Jean appeared surprised by the man’s decision, but didn’t argue against it. Meanwhile, everyone waited until Matt had left with him to speak up. “You’re going to regret that,” Andrew said as he tugged Neil closer. “He’s a Moriyama agent, first and foremost.”

Wymack looked over at Kevin, who shrugged. “Jean is probably the most decent man they have, but he does follow Riko’s orders. That said, I don’t want to see him go back to be punished because of me.”

“I don’t care,” Andrew remarked. “Let him, if he’s stupid enough to follow a prick like Riko.”

“Andrew.” Abby gave him a hurtful look as she went over to stack the tea cups onto the tray on the table. “He deserves a chance.”

“I’m with the monster on this one,” Allison agreed. “Better keep an eye on the man because desperate leads to stupid.” She smiled at the rude gesture Andrew gave her.

“Great, so wonderful to have heard from you all, as if I had wanted your opinions.” Wymack glared at them as he pointed to the door. “Now get your asses out of here.”

Andrew repeated the rude gesture at him, but was quick to push Neil toward the exit so Neil sighed as he nodded goodbye to Abby. Once they were out in the hall, he groaned at the look on his lover’s face. “Don’t say it, I know it already.”

“You’re going to hear it anyway – you don’t go anywhere by yourself now that Birdy is here,” Andrew told him. “I don’t trust him.”

Neil groaned and hoped that Nicky and- well, he hoped that Nicky returned soon. Meanwhile, a hopeful expression came over Kevin’s face while Allison wandered off on her own. “So, now you have time to practice, right?”

Neil expected his lover to tell Kevin to ‘fuck off’ or something, and blinked when Andrew smiled instead. Only it was one of those blatantly false smiles, was an expression of too much cheer, so he inwardly groaned instead. “What a _wonderful_ idea,” Andrew said. “Let’s go.”

Having a feeling that Kevin wouldn’t remain excited for long – probably once he found himself fending off a dragon – Neil swallowed a sigh and followed the two to the nearest courtyard for a ‘practice’ session.

*******

**Author's Note:**

> *******  
> There you go! We're slowly getting the band together, yes we are! (don't ask me what I mean by that)
> 
> Poor Kevin. He just wants to practice....
> 
> Well, you wanted your Dragon!Andrew, you got it! (though there wasn't any actual Dragon!Andrew in this part, was there..., hmm. Wait until the next part, though).  
> *******


End file.
